


He, It Is He

by gwyllgi



Series: Herc/Raleigh Bingo Challenge [2]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-17 18:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1398859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gwyllgi/pseuds/gwyllgi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why does everyone keep congratulating Herc?  What are they talking about—honeymoon? ceremony? <i>dress</i>?  And what's with all the winking?  <i>The first time it happens, Herc shrugs it off.</i></p><p>Written for the Herc/Raleigh Bingo Challenge prompt: Ring</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Bingo Card

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from an Alfred Lord Tennyson poem, _Duet_.
> 
> For lack of anywhere better to put it, the first chapter is my bingo card. Click on through to chapter 2 for the fic.


	2. He, It Is He

The first time it happened, Herc shrugged it off.

"Congratulations, Marshal!"

Herc turned to find one of the old Striker techs who'd stayed on to help with the J-tech research teams. When he made eye contact, the man gave him a thumbs-up and winked. Herc waved an acknowledgment and went on his way, too busy to give it another thought.

The second time, Herc was confused.

"When's the honeymoon, Marshal?"

That time it was one of the neurologists brought in to study the Drift, a woman whose name Herc couldn't recall off the top of his head. "I'm sorry?" he said, brows drawing together. "Honeymoon?"

The woman's expression morphed into chagrin. "I'm so sorry—are you not taking one? You must be too busy." She paused, then broke into a saucy grin. "You need to make time, Marshal. Take some for yourself." She winked and disappeared through the door to the labs, leaving Herc standing in the hallway, lips tightened into a thoughtful frown. After a moment, he shook his head and continued to LOCCENT.

The third, fourth, and fifth times, Herc started to get suspicious.

"Where was the ceremony, Marshal?"

"Who popped the question, Marshal?"

"Which one of you wore the dress, Marshal?"

He'd floundered each time, echoing their questions.

"Ceremony?" he'd asked, and the Ranger trainee- _cum_ -test subject had looked appalled and asked if no one was supposed to know, if they were waiting to make a formal announcement. He'd apologized and made excuses about being late for a simulation, escaping before Herc could pin him down with more questions.

"Popped the what?" he'd asked, and the psych analyst had laughed and said that it made sense there was no question, that they worked together so well that it'd probably been unspoken, hadn't it? He'd offered his congratulations and left with a wave while Herc was still trying to collect his thoughts.

"Dress?" he'd asked, and Newt had frozen as he'd realized his mistake, eyes wide behind the shield of his glasses. Stuttering apologies, he'd wasted no time in making a break for the K-tech labs, either not hearing or ignoring Herc's call after him.

Had everyone gone round the bloody twist?

The evening meal was a mass of congratulations and so many thumbs-ups and winks that Herc was beginning to think a contagious tick was going around. Half the time, he didn't even know who the congratulations came from; he'd turn around and eight people would be grinning at him. He waved each time, though he could feel his frown growing with every occurrence.

As Marshal of the PPDC, he'd thought he'd known everything going on within the walls of the Shatterdome. Apparently, he'd been wrong.

He'd given up on acknowledging the congratulations by the time Mako sat down next to him. He glanced at her, certain his consternation was apparent on his face but unable to do anything about it while everyone's odd behavior weighed on him. She patted his arm, her expression understanding.

"You don't know, do you?" When Herc shook his head, she sighed. "I didn't think so. The rumor mill is working overtime, and the topic of choice is your marriage to Raleigh."

"My _what_?"

Mako's lips quirked up, though she quickly smoothed them back to sympathy. "The entire 'dome believes you married Raleigh; it's all that everyone has been talking about." She regarded his shocked expression with a tightness in her lips that made Herc think she was struggling against another smile and patted his arm again. "You should talk to Raleigh."

Herc blinked, tensing under Mako's hand. "Has he been saying we're married?" He couldn't see Raleigh doing that. They'd worked together for over two years, dated almost that long, and Herc couldn't believe the quiet, thoughtful man he'd come to love was spreading ridiculous rumors.

Mako shook her head, but repeated, "You should talk to Raleigh."

Herc pushed his tray away, considering for a long moment before rising. Sidetracking only long enough to dump his tray, he headed for his quarters— _their_ quarters, now. Mako was back, so Raleigh should be too, the pair having been field testing a new development in J-tech. If Raleigh wasn't in their quarters, Herc was quite prepared to hunt for him; the sooner everything was sorted out, the better.

He didn't have to search, thankfully—Raleigh was already in their quarters, face-down on the bed with his head and hands buried under a pillow, Max snuffling in slobbery sleep next to him, wedged between Raleigh's shoulder and the wall. Herc's vague irritation deflated like a pin-stuck balloon and he crossed the room to perch on the bed next to Raleigh, rubbing a hand over his back.  
"Bad day?"

Raleigh groaned, pulling the pillow tighter over his head. "Just long," he said, muffled almost to the point of unintelligibility. He shifted under Herc's hand, the stretch of tense muscles against Herc's palm a heady delight—Herc was still waiting for the new-relationship thrill to wear off, but it had shown no sign of abating yet. On Raleigh's far side, Max snorted and burrowed under the other pillow, no doubt in protest against the disturbance.

After a quick, placating scratch to Max's haunch, Herc continued to rub, then dug his fingers into Raleigh's tense shoulders, kneading until the knots had loosened. Eventually, he sighed, squeezing the back of Raleigh's neck. "Want to come out of there, Rals? We need to talk."

The pillow moved enough for Raleigh to peek out, one tired blue eye meeting Herc's. "What's up?"

Herc flicked a thumb over Raleigh's cheek, then traced over his lower lip—he'd never been good at keeping his hands off Raleigh. "Did you know that the staff thinks we're married?"

Raleigh blinked, lips forming a faint moue. "No," he said, "but, then, I haven't been in the 'dome much lately. A certain slave driver's been keeping me running."

Herc grinned wryly, thumb pressing against Raleigh's chin to turn his head a bit more so Herc could steal a quick, awkward kiss. "You're perfectly capable of objecting when you're saddled with too much; you never were very good at brown-nosing." When Raleigh managed a weak chuckle, Herc stroked his throat. "Do you know where they might have gotten the idea?"

Raleigh flushed and pulled the pillow over his head again. "That might be my fault."

"Your fault?" Herc tried to pull the pillow away, tugging against Raleigh's resistance. "What do you mean, 'your fault'?"

In answer, Raleigh slid a hand from under the pillow, lifting it and splaying his fingers.

It took Herc a moment, but then Raleigh's fingers shifted and light gleamed on the simple gold band ringing his third finger. Herc sucked in a breath and gingerly touched it with one finger, rubbing over the skin-warm metal. "Rals, why are you wearing a wedding ring?"

Raleigh's fingers curled, though he made no move to stuff his hand back under the pillow. "Felt like it," he said eventually, after a silence long enough to worry Herc. He made no move to resist this time when Herc pulled the pillow away, didn't fight it when Herc rolled him over (though Max whuffed a complaint at the jostling and jumped off the bed to find his own, far more peaceful cushion), met his eyes steadily when Herc's thumb found his chin again.

"You felt like it." Herc grinned crookedly, bending to press a kiss to Raleigh's forehead. "You just woke up one morning and decided you wanted to wear one?"

The flush riding high on Raleigh's cheeks was adorable, though Herc knew better than to tell him that. "Something like that." His lips curved ever-so slightly, the beginning of a playful smile that few but Herc ever saw. "I already know I want to stay with you forever. I just wanted something to remind me of that."

Herc shook his head and stole another kiss, lingering at Raleigh's mouth. "All you had to do was ask, you know," he said. "I probably would have said yes."

"Probably?" Raleigh punched his arm, then pushed himself upright and curled his hand over Herc's thigh. "Way to instill confidence in a guy." He pressed a kiss to the corner of Herc's mouth. "I have a question for you, Herc."

"Do you?"

Raleigh squeezed Herc's thigh, then joined his hands. It took Herc a moment to realize that Raleigh was removing his ring, which he held up in front of Herc. "Will you stay by my side, always?"

Herc rolled his eyes, but extended his left hand. He watched as Raleigh slid the ring onto his finger, flexing his hand when it was settled. "Was that so hard, Rals?" He imagined he could taste Raleigh's pleased smile when he stole another kiss, then another, then another.

Raleigh's hand had landed on his thigh again and was creeping steadily higher when they broke apart, and Herc chuckled as he touched Raleigh's cheek. "We'll need to get one for you, you know. Can't let everyone think you left me already."

"Well." There was that flush again—Herc chased it with his thumb. "I might already have one."

Herc blinked, then laughed, resting his head on Raleigh's shoulder. "You dag, what were you waiting for?" He nuzzled into Raleigh's neck, nibbled at his jaw.

"Don't know," Raleigh said, and Herc was pleased to find his voice just the tiniest bit high and tight; Raleigh never was very good at masking it when he was turned on. "The right moment?"

"No such thing." Herc skimmed another kiss over his cheek, then sat back to regard Raleigh. "Now, what did you have in mind for our honeymoon?"

Raleigh's grin was infectious. "I was thinking France. I can show you my grandparents' place—you'll love it. It's out in the country, no close neighbors, without an entire 'dome watching what we're doing. Just us."

"No grandparents?"

"Nah." Raleigh slid a hand over Herc's belly, curved it around his waist. "Pépé Lapierre spends most of his time in Paris now." He placed a careful kiss just beneath Herc's ear before repeating, "Just us."

It didn't take much coaxing to get Raleigh on his back again, and Herc wasted no time in straddling his hips, running his hands up Raleigh's sides. "Sounds great." It was easy enough to lean in for another kiss, Raleigh's mouth perfect against his, their bodies fitting together as naturally as if they'd been made for each other. He could feel the pressure of the ring around his finger, imagined it branding his flesh with the heat of Raleigh's, and smiled against Raleigh's lips.

It may not have been where he'd expected to end up in this crazy world, but Herc was not about to argue with fate, not when it brought him to where he was, losing himself in a man who knew him better than he knew himself and still, inexplicably, loved him. The rings were a formality, a tangible demonstration of their bond, but it was the man currently rucking Herc's shirt up as he ran his hands over his back who had been with him through the peaks and valleys of the past couple of years, who gave him a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

As long as Raleigh was with him, Herc could take on the world.

* * *

"Congratulations, Marshal."

Herc grinned at Mako when she appeared beside him, a soft smile lighting her face. That she had noticed his new accessory was unsurprising; Mako had always been observant, and she'd spent most of the morning with Raleigh, who'd had a particularly satisfied look on his face when he'd left. He rolled his thumb over the ring, sliding it around his finger with no small amount of satisfaction himself.

"You look happy."

"I am." Herc was well aware that his grin was turning sappy, but fighting it took entirely too much effort and so he reveled in it instead. "I am."


End file.
